The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging system and a display device. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with an ultrasonic imaging system including a main display device that displays ultrasonic images and an auxiliary display device that displays information that helps a user operate the ultrasonic imaging system, and a display device to be used in combination with the ultrasonic imaging system.
For ultrasonic imaging, echoes of ultrasonic waves transmitted to the interior of an object are used to produce tomographic images that are displayed as B-mode images. Moreover, Doppler shifts occurring in the echoes of the ultrasonic waves are utilized to produce dynamic images of a blood flow or the like that are displayed as color Doppler images.
An ultrasonic imaging system includes an operator console, with which a user can freely operate the ultrasonic imaging system. The operator control includes a graphic display so as to cope with diverse requirements for the operation.
The operator console including the graphic display switches screens so as to change the features of the operator console. Operation is performed with utilization of graphical user interfaces implemented in the screens.
A liquid crystal display is adopted as the graphic display. A transmissive LCD that radiates light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix so as to display images is adopted from among various types of LCDs.
The transmissive LCD exhibits high luminance so as to offer excellent visibility even in a bright room or the like. The screen of the LCD tends to be too bright for ultrasonic imaging systems that are often used in dark environments.
Therefore, for example, when images being produced are displayed on a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display for observation, the screen of the LCD that is much brighter than the display screen of the CRT dazzles a user.
The luminance of the LCD can be somewhat lowered by adjusting illumination light emitted from behind. However, there is a limit in reduction of illumination light due to the properties of a light source, and even if the amount of illumination light is decreased to the lowest limit, the LCD may still be too bright
An object of the present invention is to realize an ultrasonic imaging system in which the luminance of an LCD in an operator console can be lowered to a level suitable for a dark place, and a display device in which the luminance of an LCD can be lowered to a level suitable for a dark place.
(1) According to one aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the foregoing object, there is provided an ultrasonic imaging system including imaging means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and producing images according to the received echoes of the ultrasonic waves; main display means for displaying the images; and auxiliary display means for displaying information that helps a user operate the imaging system, wherein the auxiliary display means includes an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix whose transmittance can be controlled at each pixel location, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored, second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD with lower luminance than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
(2) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the foregoing object, there is provided a display device including an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix whose transmittance can be controlled at each pixel location, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD with lower luminance than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
According to the aspects (1) and (2) of the present invention, the LCD is selectively provided with either of the first image data based on which the predetermined image is displayed, or the second image data based on which the same image is displayed with lower luminance than the predetermined image based on the first image data. The luminance of the LCD on which the same image is displayed can be changed between two levels.
(3) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided an ultrasonic imaging system including imaging means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and producing images according to the received echoes of the ultrasonic waves; main display means for displaying the images; and auxiliary display means for displaying information that helps a user operate the imaging system, wherein the auxiliary display means includes an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
(4) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided a display device including an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
According to the aspects (3) and (4) of the present invention, the LCD is selectively provided with either the first image data based on which the predetermined image is displayed, or the second image data based on which the same image is displayed at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data. Consequently, the brightness of the same image to be displayed can be changed between two levels.
(5) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided an ultrasonic imaging system including imaging means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and producing images according to the received echoes of the ultrasonic waves; main display means for displaying the images; and auxiliary display means for displaying information that helps a user operate the imaging system, wherein the auxiliary display means includes an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; third memory means in which third image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with any of the first image data, the second image data, and the third image data which is selected.
(6) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided a display device including an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; third memory means in which third image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with any of the first image data, the second image data, and the third image data which is selected.
According to the aspects (5) and (6) of the present invention, the LCD is selectively provided with any of the first image data based on which the predetermined image is displayed, second image data based on which the as the image as the predetermined image is displayed at darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data, and third image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data. The luminance of the LCD on which the same image is displayed can be changed among three levels.
(7) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided an ultrasonic imaging system including imaging means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and producing images according to the received echoes of the ultrasonic waves; main display means for displaying the images; and auxiliary display means, wherein the auxiliary display means includes an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the lightness and hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; fist memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
(8) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided a display device including an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the lightness and hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with either the first image data or the second image data that is selected.
According to the aspects (7) and (8) of the present invention, the LCD is selectively provided with either the first image data based on which the predetermined image is displayed, or the second image data based on which the same image is displayed at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data. Consequently, the luminance of the LCD on which the same image is displayed can be changed between two levels.
(9) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided an ultrasonic imaging system consisting of imaging means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and producing images according to the received echoes of the ultrasonic waves; main display means for displaying the images; and auxiliary display means, wherein the auxiliary display means includes an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the lightness and hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; fi memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; third memory means in which third image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with any of the first image data, the second image data, and the third image data which is selected.
(10) According to another aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid object, there is provided a display device consisting mainly of an LCD for radiating light, which is emitted from behind, forwards through a liquid crystal matrix that permits control of the lightness and hue of each pixel, and thus displaying images; first memory means in which first image data based on which a predetermined image is displayed on the LCD is stored; second memory means in which second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data is stored; third memory means in which third image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed on the LCD in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data is stored; and image data providing means for providing the LCD with any of the first image data, the second image data, and the third image data which is selected.
According to the aspects (9) and (10) of the present invention, the LCD is selectively provided with any of the first image data based on which the predetermined image is displayed, second image data based on which the same image as the predetermined image is displayed at lower lightness and darker hue than the predetermined image based on the first image data, and third image data based on which the same image is displayed in a darker achromatic color than the image based on the second image data. Consequently, the luminance of the LCD on which the same image is displayed can be changed among three levels.
According to the foregoing aspects of the present invention, preferably, a user selects image data to be provided for the LCD, and thus changes the luminance of the display screen of the LCD according to the user""s intention.
According to the foregoing aspects of the present invention, preferably, an amount of light to be emitted to the LCD from behind is varied in order to thus adjust an amount of illumination light and eventually control the luminance of the display screen of the LCD.
As described above, according to the present invention, an ultrasonic imaging system capable of lower the luminance of an LCD included in an operator console to a level suitable for a dark place is realized. Also realized is a display device capable of lowing the luminance of an LCD thereof to a level suitable for a dark place.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.